Andrew Urshan's Conversion

[Sam]

This is an account of Andrew Urshan’s conversion. I have a book titled “The Life of Andrew Bar David Urshan” which came from the Pentecostal Publishing House. Inside the cover it says that the first printing was circa 1918 and then reprinted in 1998. I also have several old magazines called “The Witness of God” which were published by Andrew Urshan. The first is dated January, 1946 and the last is dated December, 1946. The story in the magazine is pretty much the same as in the book but the date of the conversion is given as a Wednesday night in1901 in the magazine but as both 1899 and 1900 in the book. Also the location of Urmiah is spelled a couple of different ways in the book. Andrew Urshan was born in 1884 and died in 1967.

Below is the account from the book.

On a windy night in March, in the year 1900 in Urumia City, Persia, when sitting with about 200 lads in the American Presbyterian Mission College, singing the blessed hymn, “Oh happy day that fixed my choice,” the Spirit of God seized me with great conviction and caused me to stop and think and to ask myself the question, “Am I really happy because Jesus has washed away my sins?” I was reproved and had to confess myself a hypocrite, and that broke my heart, and I instantly broke into tears as my sins were pictured before my eyes. Then I cried unto God for forgiveness and deliverance in Jesus’ name and the Lord heard me. I put my trust in the promises, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” and “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved;” and, the Spirit witnessed to my spirit that I had been born again and had been made a new creature in Christ Jesus.

With a new and tender heart and broken spirit, and with tears of repentance and joy, I sang the rest of the hymn not a hypocrite this time, but a truly happy, blood bought, blood washed child of the King. Oh, that wonderful night! that beautiful spot! that mourning bench in that school! And oh, that sweet effect of the gracious, crucified Saviour and risen Lord! Never will it be forgotten. It is still burning now as a clear blaze of the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

from pages 31 and 32, from chapter VI titled “My Conversion” in the book
and from page 7, of the magazine The Witness of God January, 1946

[Sam]

Some time ago I read two different autobiographies of Andrew Urshan. One was printed serially in several magazines in 1946. The other was written in 1918 and is available from the UPC publishing house. The book from 1918 tells about his birth and childhood and conversion as a young man in Persia, his trip to the U.S., his baptism in the Spirit, and his ministry in the U.S., Persia, and Russia. There is no mention of his baptism in Jesus' name (unless I missed it). The magazine articles covered a lot of the same information but they do talk about baptism in Jesus' name. Andrew Urshan was sprinkled as a baby in the Presbyterian manner. Later as a young man he was immersed. He later had some questions concerning water baptism and came to the conclusion that, "The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Proper Name of the whole Deity for this Gospel dispensation because in Him, Jesus Christ our Lord, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells and to Him all the power in Heaven and earth was given" He goes on to say, "...This was indeed a wonderful revelation of the Trinity in Christ....seeing the great value of the baptism invested in faith in the One Name of the triune God..." He goes on to say that he had a tract published about this revelation, that he had Acts 2:38 painted above the baptistry tank and that he began to baptize new converts "into the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ which is the One Name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost." This is on page 10 of a magazine titled The Witness of God, edition no. 3 of 1946. He said this happened in 1910 while pastoring an assembly at Sheffield and Montana Street in Chicago, Illinois. It is interesting that although he started baptizing new converts this way, he did not practice rebaptism. He later went back to Persia and then to Russia. In 1915 while preaching in Russia, he hoped no one would want to be water baptized because he knew it had become a controversy in the U.S. and he did not want to join in with either side of the issue. He did decide not to do any baptizing unless some one specifically requested baptism using the name of Jesus. A new convert came to him, pointing to Acts 8:16 in a Bible, and asked for baptism according to this verse. Several days later they went out into the woods to a river, cleared away two feet of snow, broke a hole trough the ice and baptized several people. There were more converts and a few days later more wanted to be baptized. Bro. Urshan preached on Isaiah 9:6 about "the sonship of Jesus and the Divine Fatherhood in Him." He then talked about baptism in Jesus' Name. As a result some who had been previously baptized requested rebaptism.

Here is what Bro. Urshan wrote about his attitude toward rebaptism.
"I objected to such a thing then. I had come to the conclusion to baptize the new repenting souls in Jesus Christ's name, but never those who were already baptized. In spite of my personal feeling on the subject, I was almost begged to baptize some who once were already baptized.... I tried to discourage it, and told the folks it was not necessary at all and that it would bring trouble and division among them. I went as far as to tell them of the havoc that very thing had created in America and then I plainly stated that i would not rebaptize them.... I prayed hard against rebaptism and branded it to be a trick of the devil to destroy that good revival." When they insisted on being rebaptized, he told them to go ahead and rebaptize one another. He told them that he himself had not been rebaptized and wanted to return to America and discuss it more fully with people there. Finally they prevailed upon him and he asked an elderly Spirit filled Russian to rebaptise him and then he baptized about 75 people in Jesus' Name. This is from pages 10 and 11 of The Witness of God, August 1946.

Even though he had now been rebaptized, when Bro. Urshan returned to the U.S. he continued to fellowship and preach among those who practiced both types of baptism. Later, he was forced to choose sides and he sided with the "New Issue" or Jesus' name baptism.

[Pastor Keith]

Sam in case you didn't realize, Paul Dugas did edit Urshan books and took out the points about his earlier views on Conversion and people being saved with lesser revelation. So there is some variance between the originals and what was published after his death.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by keith4him

Sam in case you didn't realize, Paul Dugas did edit Urshan books and took out the points about his earlier views on Conversion and people being saved with lesser revelation. So there is some variance between the originals and what was published after his death.

Sorry to say that this is true, Keith. Paul Dugas taught classes that impacted me most in College but "editing" A.D. Urshan's writings was a real disappointment to me. For someone who I thought exemplified "ministerial ethics", I thought some ethical lines were crossed.
Raven

[trickledown]

It is funny the types of early 20th century disputes that happened among people that we look to as our pioneer elders. Bro Urshan would probably feel right at home, yet be very disappointed with the groups that are his "Legacy" more or less. It makes me wonder where the real distinction between standards and doctrine is. This forum seems to be full of people that see the line in different places.
God blessed Bro Urshan
God bless us

[Bro-Larry]

Hey Derrell! Happy New Year

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by Raven

Sorry to say that this is true, Keith. Paul Dugas taught classes that impacted me most in College but "editing" A.D. Urshan's writings was a real disappointment to me. For someone who I thought exemplified "ministerial ethics", I thought some ethical lines were crossed.
Raven

This type editing is common place in Christian circles, just edit what doesn't fit your theology, forget honesty and integrity. Hannah Whitehall Smith's writings are renown in Christian literature, but her enlightenment of the redemption of all mankind has been conveniently edited out.

For example:
http://www.tentmaker.org/books/unselfishness-of-god.htm

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by keith4him

Sam in case you didn't realize, Paul Dugas did edit Urshan books and took out the points about his earlier views on Conversion and people being saved with lesser revelation. So there is some variance between the originals and what was published after his death.

I realize that the Dugas' are relatives to the Urshans but to have done that would be a greivous crime against truth in an attempt to alter or obscure Pentecostal history. What a horrible shame. This crime would be on the same level as the RCC destroying all writings of Oneness teachers in the third and fourth centuries.

The Dugas' are super cons so I suppose that this crime might be expected of them. To do such a dastardly deed is dishonest to the core. I can only shake my head in disgust.

I have the old copy also that Sam has. It reads as Sam pasted it.

[Pastor Keith]

Originally Posted by Apprehended

I realize that the Dugas' are relatives to the Urshans but to have done that would be a greivous crime against truth in an attempt to alter or obscure Pentecostal history. What a horrible shame. This crime would be on the same level as the RCC destroying all writings of Oneness teachers in the third and fourth centuries.

The Dugas' are super cons so I suppose that this crime might be expected of them. To do such a dastardly deed is dishonest to the core. I can only shake my head in disgust.

I have the old copy also that Sam has. It reads as Sam pasted it.

Philip Dugas isn't and is a honorable man.

[Adino]

Thanks for sharing, Sam.